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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PBBM has 'final say' if gov't will cooperate with ICC, says Guevarra

PBBM has 'final say' if gov't will cooperate with ICC, says Guevarra

Published Nov 29, 2023 09:54 am

At A Glance

  • Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra has told a House of Representatives joint panel hearing that President Marcos has the final say whether or not the Philippine government will cooperate with the International Criminal Court's (ICC) probe on the previous Duterte administration's bloody war against illegal drugs. 

IMG-b31ab61855e067af69376ed58ad1f2b0-V.jpgPresident Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (Noel Pabalate/MANILA BULLETIN)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra has told a House of Representatives joint panel hearing that President Marcos has the final say whether or not the Philippine government will cooperate with the International Criminal Court's (ICC) probe on the previous Duterte administration’s bloody war against illegal drugs. 

Guevarra this categorical remark during the joint hearing of the House Committees on Human Rights and on Justice on Wednesday, Nov. 29. 

The joint panel convened Wednesday to discuss three resolutions calling on the government to cooperate with the ICC in connection with the drug war during the time of former president Rodrigo Duterte. 

During the hearing, Bukidnon 2nd district Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores asked what would happen if the pro-ICC probe resolutions prosper in Congress. 

"If the House approves the threw resolutions and the Senate approves its similar resolution, will the government agencies like your office (Office of the Solictor General) and the DOJ (Department of Justice) still wait for the decision of the President regardless of the resolutions passed by the House and the Senate?" asked Flores, who is a vice chairman of the justice panel. 

"Certainly your honor, because your resolutions urge the President to cooperate. So the final say of whether in fact the government will cooperate be with the President," answered Guevarra. 

Referring to the filed resolutions, Guevarra said, "Yours is an expression of sentiment, that is how you feel about it. But that is not something that is binding. It all depends on the final decision of the President whether he will grant your request that we cooperate. Nasa kanya po yun (It's up to him)." 

"He has repeatedly declared...na (that) we cannot give our cooperation to the ICC prosecutor. Nasabi niya na po yun (He has mentioned that several times)," Guevarra said. 

"Now if he (Marcos) will think twice because of these resolutions coming from the Congress, eh siya po ang magde-decide nun (that's up to him to decide)," added the official, who incidentally served as DOJ chief during Duterte’s Palace tenure. 

Guevarra says the question on whether or not the government should cooperate with ICC prosecutors is a "poltical decision". 

Depending on who you ask, the Duterte drug war caused the deaths of between 5,000 and 30,000 people. 

Guevarra later said in the hearing that investigators from the United Nations (UN)-backed ICC are free to come to the country. 

“We will not cooperate, but ICC investigators are free to come and do their job here,” he said. 

 

Related Tags

International Criminal Court Menardo Guevarra President Marcos
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